Almost a quarter of the population of Sudan are going hungry as conflict, rising food prices and the coronavirus take their toll, The Guardian reports.

About 9.6 million people now face severe food shortages, the highest number recorded in the country’s recent history.

Many of those affected live in the conflict zones of South Kordofan and the Blue Nile State, but almost all of Sudan’s 18 states have registered some level of hunger, including the capital, Khartoum.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network said a large number of people would require emergency food assistance until at least September as “very high staple food prices and Covid-19 control measures significantly limit food access during the lean season”.

UN agencies working in the country warned of severe consequences. “If no measures are taken, people may slide into chronic food insecurity and poverty – and perpetual high vulnerability to future hazards,” said Woo Jung Kim, communications officer at the World Food Programme in Sudan.

According to the World Health Organization, as of 27 July, Sudan had recorded 11,424 cases and 720 deaths from Covid-19.